Google Babel –a unified chat application

Google Babel, the forthcoming unified messenger service from Google will include Google Talk, Google Hangouts and Messenger in its initial release. Google Voice integration which many users were looking forward to, will be included later after the launch. No specific details yet on how Voice will blend into Babel.

Google Babel is a collaboration of work by the Google+, Android, Chrome and Apps teams. The service will span across Gmail, Google +, Android, iOS, and Chrome apps. At the moment Babel is being tested internally with employees of Google.

The new service will include notification syncing across devices and platforms, which is similar to Apple’s iMessage in that it will work on desktop, tablet and phone, cross-platform conversation experiences, a new UI, photo sharing, quick access to live video chats, and on-the-record chat history viewing from anywhere, over 800 emoji+, an iOS native application among many others.

On the iOS app, Google says it’s the first time they have built a “first class iOS experience” when it comes to a messaging service.